Entertainment

Eek-A-Mouse is a free man

VETERAN artiste Eek-A-Mouse was released from a North Carolina prison in July.

The Outer Banks Sentinel newspaper reports that the singjay, whose real name is Ripton Joseph Hylton, was released for time served in a plea agreement reached by his attorney, Phillip Hayes, and assistant District Attorney Lauren Arizaga.

Eek-A-Mouse was scheduled to appear in the Dare County Superior Court on July 8 to face felony rape, felony kidnapping, felony cocaine and misdemeanour marijuana charges.

But in the plea agreement settled on July 1 in Camden County Superior Court, Hylton pleaded "no contest" to two misdemeanour charges -- assault on a female and attempted crime against nature.

He was sentenced to 75 days' imprisonment for the first offence and "given credit for 75 days spent in confinement prior to the date of this judgment as a result of this charge". Sentenced to 45 days on the second charge, he was "given credit for 45 days spent in confinement prior to the date of this Judgment as a result of this charge".

The 55-year-old Eek-A-Mouse is best known for the songs Wa Do Dem and Ganja Smuggling. He was arrested in Kill Devil Hills on August 16, 2008 and charged with forcible sexual assault, possession of cocaine, kidnapping and possession of less than half-an-ounce of marijuana.

He had performed at the Port O'Call venue on August 15 and allegedly assaulted a 23-year-old woman at 1:30 am on August 16 at the Colony IV Motel in Kill Devil Hills.

The Kill Devil Hills Police Department said the kidnapping charge stemmed from the victim allegedly being held against her will. The victim was a former Dare County resident, who was visiting the area.

Released on $52,000 secured bond, Eek-A-Mouse left the United States and did not show up for a court date in 2010.

Superior Court Judge Jerry Tillett issued a warrant for his arrest with a $1-million bond for failing to appear. He was found in Paraguay last November without a proper visa, deported and later extradited from Florida to North Carolina to stand trial on the rape, kidnapping and drug charges.

Eek-A-Mouse had faced as much as 20 years in prison if convicted of the felony charges.